George Tsamouras Football Journey

6 pm Saturday 22^nd April at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2016: Hamilton 3 Edgeworth 1 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Edgeworth 8^th (5), Hamilton 4^th (9)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Edgeworth – Drew Magpies 0-0 (h), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h)

Hamilton – Won Magpies 2-0 (a), Lost Blues 1-2 (h), Won Jets 4-1 (h)

Bottom Line

Two sides who were expected to be in or at least around the top four by this stage of the season are suddenly under pressure with last years Premiers sitting in eight and Hamilton in seventh. This shapes as a crucial match for both sides and a loss here will leave them with some catching up to do.

Edgeworth starting the season in positive fashion, taking a point away from a clash with Broadmeadow Magic, before crushing the hapless Adamstown Rosebud. Since then a loss to the Jaffas and a draw with Maitland – where they dominated large periods – has seen them fall down the ladder.

However, with the Eagles having only played four matches and a majority of sides in the top four having played six (besides Olympic who have played five), it is by no means panic stations.

Hamilton Olympic, on the other hand, will be full of confidence after responding to their defeat at the weekend with a 2-0 victory against the previously undefeated Maitland. Danny Ireland was outstanding in the match pulling off some match-winning saves for Olympic in the second half and couldn’t have responded any better after a disappointing showing on Saturday.

It has been Olympic with the upper hand in the recent clashes winning the last two – they were the only sides last season which Edgeworth couldn’t beat. Olympic have also won four of the last six between the sides – but crucially one of those losses was the 2015 Grand Final.

Edgeworth are at full strength this week, while Hamilton are still without Rhys Cooper (knee).

What the Coaches Said:

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“This is must win. I’ll go as far as saying if we lose this game I don’t think we can win the premiership. That’s how big it is. I know it’s early but I think as the second round goes on there will be less and less upsets, that’s just normal. Depth starts to come into it and I think there is still that gap, probably the top half of the table as far as depth. So, it’s massive for us.”

“We haven’t been playing bad, but there is just something missing and I’ve got to find that or we will get left behind. We are in a bit of a slumber. We are playing quite well if you look at everything. I’m not unhappy with how we are playing. We have five or six defenders which have been there for three years whereas in attack that is where we [aren’t as cohesive]. Kieran [Sanders] is new, Adam Cawley is new so that makes sense that it isn’t firing on all cylinders.”

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“You are never confident going out there [to Jack McLaughlan Oval]. Last year they swept everything else before them so look it is going to be probably our toughest battle so far. I know Zaney [Damian Zane] wouldn’t be happy with the start they have had. I’ve watched their games and they have dominated every game they have played and probably should have won all three.”

“I wouldn’t really go that far [to say we have the psychological edge]. The one big game we have had with them in the last two years was the Grand Final and they beat us in that. They to me are still the yardstick and I expect them to be in the top two at the end of the year. Sooner or later things click for sides like that and I’m sure he’ll [Damian Zane] have them set up and ready to go for the weekend.”

Key: Mick Bolch. He has been the only coach to defeat Damian Zane on more than one occasion since Zane began coaching in the PS4 NPL. Can he mastermind another triumph on enemy territory?

Under 20s kick off 4.00pm
Under 18s kick off 2.15pm

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Edgeworth
Sunday at Darling St Oval
Under 16s kick off 2.30pm
Under15s kick off 1.00pm
Under 14s kick off 11.30am
Under 13s kick off 10.00am

Zone League 2
Hunter Simba vs Olympic
Saturday at Tech College
1st Grade kick off 1.45pm
2nd Grade kick off 12.00pm

Maitland Magpies v Valentine Phoenix

7.30 pm Saturday 22^nd April at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Maitland 0 Valentine 1 at Cooks Square Park.

Ladder: Maitland 6^th (7), Weston 9^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Lost Olympic 0-2 (h), Won Blues 2-1 (a), Drew Eagles 0-0 (a)

Valentine – Won Rosebud 2-0 (a), Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Lakes 0-3 (a)

Bottom Line

Two rivals from the 2014 NewFM League season where Maitland were promoted and Valentine was forced to wait another season for their chance in the PlayStation®4 NPL Northern NSW; the Magpies and the Phoenix have played some classics over the years.

There were no matches more dramatic in the 2016 season that the round two contest involving these two foes. Wilson Edwards (Valentine) and former Maitland player-coach Dean Heffernan were given their marching orders in the 25^th minute after a scuffle in a match filled with plenty of niggles.

Matt Thompson blocked a clearance from Phoenix keeper Beyhan Irmarko, controlled and scored in the final minute to win the match for the Magpies in one of the matches of the season. The Phoenix returned to serve in round 11 with a 1-0 win to ensure the ledger is all square in the PS4 NPL Northern NSW.

Valentine have had a topsy-turvy start to 2016, but the crucial fact is they have not drawn any matches. While they may have lost two, three wins from five have been enough to keep them in the top four.

Maitland had an undefeated run over their opening three matches, however, a midweek defeat to Hamilton has brought them back to the field. While they have just played four matches their defensive record is one of the best in the league conceding five goals so far in their four matches.

Andrew Pawiak missed Wednesday’s match with a stomach bug and should be back, while winger Ryan Clarke (hamstring) is available. Blake Thompson (knee) needs to be assessed before the match.

The visitors Valentine have Alex Faulkner out, as he attends his brother’s wedding in the US, while Justin Micallef has left the club to seek an opportunity in Sydney.

What the Coaches Said:

Darren Sills (Valentine)

“Clean sheets are great but I’d rather be winning games. I like watching goals. I don’t care if the opposition score them as long as we score more. I like it when it is 3-2, I like those sort of games where it is a bit more exciting. If you want to watch boring football, people tend to get turned off by it. I like it when there is action from end to end.”

“I wouldn’t have [expected] this position on the ladder, but I wanted three out of five wins [to start the season]. That is what our aim was to have at least three out of five. If you had of said to me at the beginning of the season which games, I would have thought we probably could have knocked over Lakes and probably wouldn’t have been able to beat Jaffas so it turned out the other way around. We are still on track, where we are. These next two weeks are really important to us.”

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“They [Valentine] have had some good results. The new American lad seems to be doing well for them, we’ve just got to keep on keeping on. If we are at our best we are a match for anyone in the competition. Once again [with the busy schedule], we will have to look at rotating players. We’ve just got to manage the situation as best we can at the moment.”

“As far as playing at home goes there is no reason for it to cause any problems. Like all teams, you want to make your home ground a bit of a fortress. It should be a daunting place to come to the top of the hill especially in the middle of winter. We need to use that to our advantage. Maybe it was just a blip last season, I don’t know, but, we will be certainly looking to win the majority of our home games this year.”

Key: Consistency. After keeping their first PS4 NPL Northern NSW clean sheet last match against Adamstown, can Valentine maKe it two from two and three wins in a row?

Weston Bears v Newcastle Jets Youth

2.30 pm Sunday 22^nd April at Rockwell Automation Park

Last Meeting: Round 10, 2016: Jets Youth 3 Weston 0 at Rockwell Automation Park.

Ladder: Weston 9^th (3), Jets Youth 11^th (1)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Jets – Lost Olympic 1-4 (a), Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h)

Weston – Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 0-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Two of the youngest sides in the competition do battle on Sunday afternoon as both look to climb off the bottom rungs of the ladder and move into the mid-table.

While just two points separate the sides, over their four matches, Weston have looked the better of the two – losing just once. That was against Broadmeadow in round two. The Bears have been competitive in all matches it has just been their inability to strike the killer blow and claim the three points which has hurt them so far this season.

They have shown grit, character and determination in coming from behind to take a point from matches against Lambton and Adamstown but it is their finishing which Steve Piggott wants to improve which will take them to the next level.

The Jets have shown their ability to score goals this season, especially in round one where they put four past Adamstown. But, it has been at the back where the leaks have occurred conceding four in all four matches they have played this season.

With the Jets Hyundai A-League season all wrapped up, it will give a chance to some of the youth players from the first team squad to come into the line-up including Harrison Sawyer and Kristian Brymora who should continue to spark the Jets in the front third.

The Jets usually struggle with the physicality of the PS4 NPL sides, so against a young less physical Weston side, expect an even, fast paced and fluent contest.

In a positive for the Jets Youth, Kristian Brymora (hamstring) is a chance of returning as is Solomon Vaiika (concussion), Ryan Smith (ankle) and Leroy Jennings (glandular fever). Jets striker Harry Sawyer misses the Youth team cut off by two hours, so he may be shopped around to other PS4 NPL NNSW clubs during the transfer window.

What the Coaches Said:

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“We haven’t played in two weeks so we are looking forward to it. It will be good to get back on the horse and battle for three points. Again, they have trained well and you can only do so much when you haven’t got games lined up. I can’t wait for the game.”

“Our front young two, they are going alright the two 17-year-olds. But, sometimes we are a bit naive and they have got to do better in front of goal. For me, the backlines got to stop leaking goals. They make some silly errors at times, but, they are young and that’s what happens, just a little bit of concentration lapses. I’m sure if we just do those things well and simply we’ll be ok this week.”

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I haven’t had the chance to see them [Weston] play. I’ve just heard some reports that they have been competitive even though they have some younger boys in there. I know what Piggo [Steve Piggott] is like, he makes his teams hard to beat. I think it’s a game that both teams with look at as a chance of picking up three points. I would have thought it’s a game where the team that defends the best with come away with the spoils.”

“Monday was the first chance we’ve had to get back on the grass. We had one weekend game, we took them up to the beach and just found a patch of grass and just got a touch on the ball, but, we couldn’t get on the field at the Uni so we have had one tactical session and one conditioning session, so it’s not been ideal. But, that was out focus, defending in the back third and we are doing things right.” 

Key: Can the Jets put a stop to their leaky defence?

Charlestown City Blues v Lambton Jaffas

2.30 pm Sunday 22^nd April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2016: Charlestown 0 Lambton 0 at Lisle Carr Oval.

Ladder: Charlestown 3^rd (10), Lambton 1^st (11)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Charlestown – Won Olympic 2-1 (a) Lost Magpies 1-2 (h), Won Magic 1-0 (h)

Lambton – Drew Magic 1-1 (h), Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h)

Bottom Line

A resurgent Charlestown outfit meet a Jaffas side who sit top of the ladder and looking for consistency. While the Jaffas sit atop the table after six matches, they haven’t won consecutive matches this season.

Charlestown have responded emphatically after a slow start to the season to win three of their last four matches which has seen them surge up to third spot – just one point off the first placed Jaffas.

Having a game plan is one part of the puzzle, but sticking to it is an entirely different challenge and last weekend Charlestown did it superbly.

Playing against a side who had put nine past them to no reply last year Shane Pryce’s men had to do something different and they did. They pulled off a 2-1 victory which had plenty of evidence of research and homework executed perfectly.

Lambton struggled to hold possession in their match with Broadmeadow last week and were subsequently outplayed.

Like most coaches, James Pascoe has relished the chance to work with his side on the pitch this week with some sunny weather ensuring the ground have dried out. When they get it right they are unstoppable, but it has been as consistent as Pascoe would like.

In an interesting side note these two sides will play each other in a couple of weeks in the only all-NPL FFA Cup match in round four.

Charlestown’s Andy Kjiln (quad) is out for the home side while Jaffas leading scorers Pat Brown (knee) and Joel Griffiths (hip flexor) will both miss the match. Luke Remington was cleared of an elbow injury and will play.

What the Coaches Said:

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“We are playing the top team so they’ve got to be shown that respect in my mind. They aren’t on top because they fluked it, they are on top because they have earnt it. They have changed players and their mindset I think this year so that is why they are on top, in my mind.”

“They are playing a different formation that is obviously working for them. That’s going to be a challenge for us, to be able to break down or adapt or get on top of their structure. They are obviously on top of the league and they are obviously getting some success from it and that brings confidence. If we don’t turn up to play the top team will continue to be the top team.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“For the first time this season we will be able to do three good sessions in the build-up to the game so I’m happy with the preparation. Obviously, we’ve got to do without a couple of players that we would like to have involved but at least the weather has given us a chance to prepare the boys who are going to step in for those players, better than would have been the case if things stayed the same from a weather point of view.”

“The issue we had [last week] with our control of the ball was created by ourselves and how we defended. The way we are set up this year, specific roles for people and the roles that people have in the wingback areas and the two side centre-backs, if those two jobs aren’t done to the letter it basically causes us to be a man down further up the pitch and teams get a bit of possession on us and then we get caught a little deep, it’s hard to play our successfully from the top of your own box.”

Key: Can Lambton cope with the loss of Brown and Griffiths who have contributed 11 of their 14 goals this season?

Adamstown Rosebud v Broadmeadow Magic

2.30 pm Tuesday 25^th April at Adamstown Oval

Last Meeting: Round 10, 2016: Adamstown 3 Broadmeadow 3 at Adamstown Oval

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (2), Broadmeadow 6^th (8)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Adamstown – Lost Roosters 1-2 (h), Lost Phoenix 0-2 (a), Drew Bears 3-3 (h)

Broadmeadow – Drew Jaffas 1-1 (a), Lost Blues 0-1 (a), Lost Roosters 1-4 (h)

Bottom Line

Adamstown are in a rut and they just can’t find a way out of it. With three wins out of their last 24 PS4 NPL Northern NSW matches, it has been a horror last year for the most successful club in Northern NSW.

But, in between all that disappointment, Adamstown won the inaugural NNSWF Heritage Cup this season. So where has it all gone wrong for the proud club? At the back, it seems.

Errors coming out of their own defensive third have crippled the Rosebuds and apart from the Jets Youth, they have the worst games to goals conceded ratio in the league – conceding on average three goals a game.

It doesn’t take an expert to work out that they need to tighten they defence and fast. They’ve conceded 71 goals in those 24 matches mentioned earlier. It’s no surprise they’ve won just three of those.

After two weeks of underwhelming results for Broadmeadow, they bounced back against the Jaffas but still struggled to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s been a common theme for Magic this season, scoring only eight in six matches. Just five of those have been from open play.

Dino Fajkovic was outstanding for Broadmeadow in the first half on Good Friday and could have had at least two if not for the brilliant goalkeeping display of, Man of the Match, Daniel March. If Magic bring a similar attacking intent and are more ruthless in front of goal it could get ugly for Adamstown.

Rosebud’s Zaell Ford (Melbourne) and Jordan Harrison (Pacific Islands) both return from trips away. Justin Tannock (hip flexor) will return to the side. Broadmeadow will be at full strength.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“They’ve got some quality on their roster and they’ve got Ruben who is obviously working with them to play the way he wants to play. I’ve seen some performances that have been pretty good from them. They’ll be tough, the experience they have on the field versus the experience we have on the field is probably a little higher so it’ll be a challenge.”

“Everyone still keeps applying themselves. They all show up at training three nights a week and they do the right things in and around what we expect at training. It’s obvious they are disappointed, you’ve only got to look at them after the games. The last two weeks, in particular, they have been very devastated in particular not getting something out of those games.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“It’s not easy, I’m probably asking different things. Some of the boys have been at the club a long time so they’ve got their own ideas and their own ways of thinking the way the game should be played, but their attitude has been pretty good, they’ve all jumped on board and they are all trying to implement the game plan as best they can. It was evident the other day against Lambton that when they get it right it’s quite an attacking style of football and it’s just one that is going to bring the best out of them.”

“I’m happy with how it’s coming along. To be honest I think we’ve been a little bit hard done by the last weeks and probably should have picked up points. If you put an extra four points on where we are now, then we would be sitting a lot prettier. Sometimes results and where you are sitting can be a confidence booster. That’s the only thing that is disappointing that we haven’t quite been paid off in the last couple of weeks.”

Key: A Winning Mentality. Adamstown needs to develop one and fast.

Source: sportstg.com

Hamilton Olympic came away with 3 points during the Round 4 deferred fixture at Maitland after two goals from Kane Goodchild.

The game began at a very fast pace with both teams in need of the three points.

Olympic began with Davies, Hodges and Duncan at the back, Goodchild and Smith in attack and concentrated their numbers in the midfield. The effect of this was control in midfield, Maitland without much possession and Olympic very dangerous on the break.

By the 18’ this control paid dividend when a nice through ball to Kane Goodchild enabled him to tuck the ball past Matthew Trott for a 1-0 lead.

A free kick from McPherson in the 26’ forced a great save from Matthew Trott. Two minutes later McPherson tests the Maitland goalkeeper again and forces a corner.

Olympic continued to control the match until the end of the first half with Maitland being unable to create a single clear cut chance to score.

The second half began with Olympic threatening to score from the outset. Louis Townsend broke from the right and fired a cross which came off the post of Matthew Trott.

Moments later Kane Goodchild showed his intentions when he fired wide from the same position.

By the 52’ Maitland made a counter attack which ended up crashing off the Olympic woodwork. This was repeated later when Danny Ireland pushed the ball away for a corner after a double save.

Despite these two opportunities Olympic continued to press forward in search of a second goal and this didn’t take long to materialise.

Two minutes from normal time, Musa Kamara floated a great corner kick into the head of Kane Goodchild who had no problem making the score 2-0.

The game was reduced to a formality after this and Olympic was able to come home with the 3 points.

u20s defeated Maitland 3-1

u18s defeated Maitland 3-0

Source: Tom Tsamouras

EVERYONE remembers a goalkeeping howler, especially when it comes from Danny Ireland.

So rarely has the Hamilton keeper made costly errors in the Northern NSW National Premier League that a fumbled corner kick in the second minute against Charlestown on Saturday night has stood out for many in round six.

The mistake gave Charlestown the lead, and another Josh Maguire corner, in the 57^th minute, beat Hamilton’s defence at the near post to give the Blues a 2-1 victory at Darling Street Oval.

The result left Olympic on six points from four games ahead of Wednesday’s 6.30pm catch-up clash at Maitland, who have seven points from three matches. It shapes as a crucial early test for Hamilton, who are three points outside the top four and take on two-time defending champions Edgeworth on Saturday night.

While the blunders at corners proved decisive last Saturday night, Hamilton coach Michael Bolch was more concerned with the missed chances in attack and the intensity of his side. 

“It’s a bad thing for keepers, they make one mistake and that’s all people remember,” Bolch said.

“We missed three one-on-ones and Goody [Kane Goodchild] had a runaway one-on-one at the end of the game, and it all just comes back to keeper mistakes.

“We really just got outenthused on Saturday night. They wanted it more than us. It turned into a battle and they won all the individual battles and all the second-phase ball.

“There were two poor goals from us from corners but we created enough to get something out of the game.”

Bolch believed the league was tighter than previous years and every team were dangerous.

“It just shows with the comp this year, it is a lot closer,” he said. “Jaffas were beaten by Phoenix and had a draw with Weston, Magic got beat by Azzurri and Lakes. They are not results you expect, as such, so it just shows if you don’t turn up on the day ready to go, you get beaten.”

Maitland football manager Mick Mirisch said Ryan Clarke (hamstring) remained the Magpies’ only injury problem. Bolch had no new injuries in his squad. 

“They were a good side last year,” Bolch said of the Magpies. “We didn’t beat them once last year and they made the semis, and they’ve added to that with [Andrew] Pawiak, [Shane] Cansdell-Sherriff and [Josh] Dutton-Black. They’ve improved their squad in my book and they are a force to be reckoned with.”

** The draw for round three of the NNSW Southern Pool of the FFA Cup, which features all 10 NPL clubs, seven from the second tier and five interdistrict teams, will be done on Wednesday.​

source:theherald.com.au

Two soft goals from corner kicks were enough for Charlestown City to walk away with 3 points from Darling St Oval on Saturday night.

A corner kick as early as in the 3^rd minute of play was not cleared and during the ensuing scramble, the referee judged that the ball had crossed the line.

The opening 10’ were very fast with goal mouth action at both ends.

In the 15’ Matthew Swan sent in a cross for Kane Goodchild, forcing the Charlestown defense to extend itself in order to save the day.

After the first 20’ the pace of the game continues to be very fast and the attacking combinations by both teams produced a great spectacle for the neutral supporters.

By the 39” Charlestown rebound another Olympic attack, only for the ball to fall in the path of birthday boy, Kane Goodchild, who had no problem bringing the score level at 1-1!

In the last 10” of the half Olympic are piling on the pressure with Nathan Archibald extending himself yet again to force a corner from another great effort by Kane Goodchild.

Half time found both teams locked at 1-1 and a thoroughly entertaining game for the fans watching.

The opening 10” of the second half were similar in pace and attacking play by both sides.

In the 46’ an innocent corner by Josh Maguire was not cleared and Charlestown were on fire 1-2! A few minutes later Daniel Casciaroli forced Danny Ireland to make the save of the match when he bent his shot around the post for a corner.

In the 65” Scott Smith plucks a long ball out of the sky and forces a double save out of Nathan Archibald.

Between 60’ and 70’ Olympic have total domination and as Charlestown are pinned inside their half. During this period there are some great combinations of attacking play and Kyle Hodges can be seen in midfield, adding to the pressure.

In the 77’ Kane Goodchild breaks with Scott Smith and despite advancing the ball inside the box, hits the side netting of the Charlestown goal.

Despite the pressure exerted by Olympic until the last minute of play, Charlestown hold on to three very precious 3 points.

U20s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  4-1

U18s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  5-2

source:Tom Tsamouras

6 pm Saturday 15^th April at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Round 18, 2016: Hamilton 3 Charlestown 0 at Lisle Carr Oval

Ladder: Hamilton 7^th (6), Charlestown 5^th (7)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Hamilton – Won Jets 4-1 (h), Won Rosebud 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 2-3 (h)

Charlestown – Lost Magpies 1-2 (h), Won Magic 1-0 (h), Won Jets 4-1 (a)

Bottom Line

It has been all Hamilton in the last four clashes between the two sides, as Olympic have racked up the goals and tightened the screws at the back when they have taken on Charlestown of late.

Hamilton’s Scott Smith comes up against his former club for the first time and his strong form for Olympic in front of goal will make it even more difficult for Charlestown as they look to end their poor recent record against Olympic.

It has been all one-way traffic since Smith’s former partner in crime at the Blues, and current teammate at Olympic – Kane Goodchild – left the club at the start of the 2015 season.

Since last year’s golden boot left Charlestown, Hamilton have won all four matches by a combined margin of 18-3 including 6-0 and 3-0 victories against the Blues in 2016. Of Hamilton’s last 18 goals against Charlestown, Goodchild has scored five.

The last time Charlestown defeated Hamilton was back in 2014. Kane Goodchild scored at Darling Street that afternoon and the Blues got the job done 1-0.

Charlestown’s recent form has been very good and while a 2-1 loss to Maitland on Tuesday will be disappointing they showed plenty of fight – something that was missing early in the season.

Their win on the weekend against Broadmeadow will have given the Blues plenty of confidence, but the big question of Charlestown this weekend will be whether they can put their recent run of form against Olympic behind them.

In a boost for Olympic, Kane Goodchild (work) will return to the side.

What the Coaches Said:

Mick Bolch (Hamilton)

“They had a great win from last weekend against Broadmeadow Magic. You can’t take your eye of them, they’ve got plenty of quality. Matt Tull is doing really well. Josh Maguire is pulling the strings for them in the number ten and has scored a couple of cracking free kicks so far this year. They’ve got strengths all over the park.”

“We’ve just got to build on what we did against the Jets. I thought the first two goals we scored against the Jets were two of the best goals I’ve seen this year, in team effort. I think the second goal we strung 13 or 14 passes together before Tommy Spencer scored the goal. So, we are doing well with the ball.”

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“[The response] has been terrific [over the last two weeks]. They are a great group of guys who have shown that they can turn up and win a football game and that they are willing to put the effort in and the attitude and the commitment has been good over the last two weeks.”

Key: Can Charlestown cure their case of the blues against Olympic?

U20s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  kick off at 4:00 Darling St Oval

U18s Hamilton Olympic vs Charlestown City Blues  kick off at 2:15 Darling St Oval

Lambton Jaffas v Broadmeadow Magic

5 pm Friday 14^th April at Arthur Edden Oval

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2016: Broadmeadow 4 Lambton 2 at Arthur Edden Oval

Ladder: Lambton 1^st (10pts), Broadmeadow 6^th (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Lambton – Won Roosters 4-0 (a), Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h), Won Eagles 2-1 (h)

Broadmeadow – Lost Blues 0-1 (a), Lost Roosters 1-4 (h), Won Phoenix 3-2 (h)

Bottom Line

Lambton will be looking to make it back-to-back victories for the first time in Season 2017 when they take on Broadmeadow Magic at home in a Good Friday clash between two of the pre-season favourites for the title.

Broadmeadow will be trying to avoid a third straight defeat – something which hasn’t happened since 2015 when they lost four straight.

The two sides come into the match with contrasting form, but with similar headaches in the goalkeeping department. Both sides first choice keepers – Brad Swancott (Lambton) and Niko Giantsopolous (Magic) – will both miss the match due to suspension.

In the form department, Lambton has had the better of the recent results after bouncing back from their loss to Valentine in round four, with a dominant 4-0 victory against Lake Macquarie last weekend.

Broadmeadow come into the match licking their wounds after a physical encounter against Charlestown where they went down in the final five minutes. It was an improved performance from their display in the 4-1 loss to Lakes the week before but Magic still came away empty handed.

While both sides have conceded eight goals this season, Lambton have been by far the better in the attacking third, scoring 13 goals in their five matches including six in their last two. In comparison, Broadmeadow have managed just seven and only one in their last two matches.

Broadmeadow will need to be wary of Lambton’s attacking weapons in Pat Brown and Joel Griffiths. Both have been on song in front of goal, and combine that with Luke Remington who showed his class on Sunday with a blistering strike from outside the box.

What the Coaches Said:

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“They are a team with some weapons. Virgili and Bradbury and Fajkovic is back as well and Haynes. All those sorts of players, you have got to be on your toes that is for sure. They will be stinging from their last couple of results that’s for sure.”

“We’re growing as a team and certainly the first half [against Lakes] was how we like to play for 90 minutes in each and every game. Of course, other teams don’t let you do that, but it sort of gave everyone a glimpse of the potential of the group.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“To be honest I’m very disappointed with the results and even with our performance in many ways. We are still very early days and I’m not playing the same football they were playing last year and I’m not preaching the same things. I’m throwing up some different challenges to the boys and some things they have adapted well and some things they are still finding hard.”

“I’m also trying to change some old habits and I know old habits die hard so I know that change is not going to happen overnight. We’ve got to be patient with it, but there is definitely no panic from us. We are right in the mix and we have proven it with a draw away from home against Edgeworth and a win at home against Valentine, and Valentine have gone and already taken Lambton as a scalp.”

Key: Pat Brown. He’s scored in four of the Jaffas five matches this season and when he has scored this year, the Jaffas haven’t lost.

Maitland Magpies v Weston Bears

2.30 pm Friday 14^th April at Cooks Square Park

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Maitland 3 Weston 2 at Cooks Square Park

Ladder: Maitland 4^th (7), Weston 9^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Won Blues 2-1 (a), Drew Eagles 0-0 (a) Won Jets 4-2 (a)

Weston – Drew Rosebud 3-3 (a), Drew Jaffas 2-2 (h), Lost Magic 0-2 (a)

Bottom Line

Steve Piggott returns to Cooks Square Park to coach against his most recent former side in what shapes us as a crucial Good Friday contest for both sides.

Maitland remains the only unbeaten side after five rounds of the competition, and while the Magpies have only played three matches they have performed well thus far.

While they may have had some luck go their way against Edgeworth on Saturday night with offside calls, they were still able to hold last year’s best-attacking side scoreless and that is no mean feat.

A 2-1 midweek victory against Charlestown has seen the Magpies soar into the top four. With the three sides above them having played five matches Maitland have a great opportunity to climb to the top of the ladder in the coming weeks. If results go their way this week they may even have the top spot before the weekend is out.

For Weston, they are just one of three sides left in the competition yet to claim a win this season. While they haven’t notched a win in four matches, they have only lost one match – a  2-0 defeat against Broadmeadow in round two – and have looked cohesive and well organised across their four matches.

The Bears will come into the match fresh from the bye, compared to the Magpies who will play their fourth match in ten days when they line up on Friday afternoon to take on the Bears. How much of a bearing the fatigue factor has remains to be seen.

Squad-wise both sides are close to full strength with Ryan Clarke (hamstring) a chance to return for Maitland, while Jacob Golding remains sidelined for the Bears.

What the Coaches Said:

Phil Dando (Maitland)

“It’s amazing, isn’t it. Three games, none at home and two wins and a draw at the defending champions. It’s not bad, is it! {While it’s a derby] it’s a just another day at the office and they are coming thick and fast. The players in my experience prefer to play than train and they are such a good bunch, they are adaptable.”

“I told them last night they have been magnificent since I have been involved. They have just done what is required and they are not professionals but they have done a really good professional job, I’ll tell you. They would put some professionals to shame.”

Steve Piggott (Weston)

“We’ll just have to be super, super good at execution this week. They are a good strong physical side, with plenty of experience and we are going to have to be at our best if we are any chance of getting a ‘w’.”

“We ran through a few things, [in the week off] changed a few people into different roles and had a look at a few things. Again, execution was our worry [in our trial match] we probably should have scored five or six. I said to the boys we can no longer just be looked at as underdogs. We have just got to aim up and get our first victory and move on from there. We’ve had about eight or nine games together so there are no excuses now.”

Key: With their fourth match in the days, will the short turnarounds take their toll on Maitland?

Newcastle Jets Youth v Edgeworth Eagles

2.30 pm Saturday 15^th April at Macquarie Field

Last Meeting: Round 12, 2016: Edgeworth 4 Jets Youth 2 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.

Ladder: Jets 11^th (1), Edgeworth 8^th (5)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Jets – Lost Olympic 1-4 (a), Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h)

Eagles – Drew Magpies 0-0 (h), Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Since Damian Zane began his tenure as Edgeworth Eagles coach back in 2015, they have never gone three matches without a win. This weekend the Jets Youth get an opportunity to put Edgeworth under some real pressure.

If the Jets Youth do manage to claim a victory or even share the points with the Eagles, many will look at that statistic as a negative. For the present, that is probably valid, but on reflection, it shows just how high Edgeworth have set the bar over the last two seasons and just how exceptionally consistent they have been.

Over recent weeks Edgeworth have struggled in front of goal, and while you could say they were unlucky with offsides last weekend, Zane will want his side to be more clinical. It is by no means doom and gloom for Edgeworth.

At this stage last year they had drawn against Broadmeadow and lost to Hamilton in consecutive weeks and still went on to win the title.

For the Jets, their significant problem is the amount of goals they have conceded in four matches. In all four matches this year the Jets have conceded four goals to make it 16 all up.

While their attack has been good enough – averaging two goal per game – their defence is letting them down and they can’t afford another disappointing effort at the back against Edgeworth or they may just play the defending Premiers back into attacking form.

Edgeworth will be at full strength for the match, while for the Jets Ryan Smith and Tyson Jackson (both ankles) are in doubt.

What the Coaches Said:

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“We don’t look too far ahead in terms of what we are up against. For us, it’s still looking after what we need to improve first and foremost cause I think scoring goals has not been a problem for us again but conceding has. It’s not a bad time for us to play them if they are a little bit goal shy at the moment but for us, it will just be about manning up from a physical point in the back third.”

“I’ve thrown two boys that didn’t play [at the back] last year into the mix and they have had to step up and it’s the first time they have played regularly. They both didn’t play regularly in this team last year as they are younger boys. Mitch Dobson and Pat Langlois have done a really good job. They have listened to how we want to play out and they have implemented that.”

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“I had a look on the weekend and we had numbers [in the box] but it’s just guys making the same runs and when we did have good runs, the delivery wasn’t good enough. We had 23 crosses [against Maitland] and I had 13 down as poor and six as ok and that’s not good enough. I don’t think we are playing poorly at all, it’s just being better in the final third.”

“I don’t think we’ve been great in the final third so [knowing the amount of goals the Jets have conceded] shouldn’t be an issue. To be honest I haven’t even mentioned them this week so far. Our play has been fine. We’re defending well and our build-up play has been good. It’s just that final pass, the final cross, making the right runs [that we need to get right].

Key: Can Edgeworth iron out their attacking yips against a Jets side with a tendency to leak goals?

Adamstown Rosebud v Lake Macquarie City Roosters

2.30 pm Sunday 9^th April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 14, 2014: Adamstown 5 Lake Macquarie 2

Ladder: Adamstown 10^th (2), Lake Macquarie 3^rd (8)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Adamstown – Lost Phoenix 0-2 (a), Drew Bears 3-3 (h), Lost Eagles 0-6 (a).

Lakes – Lost Jaffas 0-4 (h), Won Magic 4-1 (a), Drew Blues 1-1 (a)

Bottom Line

A season which promised so much just over a month ago has quickly gone pear-shaped for Adamstown Rosebud.

While the season is far from over, Pete McGuinness’ side is in desperate need of a victory if not to keep themselves in touch with the sides above them, but to restore some confidence which has taken a battering lately.

Adamstown were impressive in the opening 20 minutes at Edgeworth until Daniel Yaxley was sent from the ground and from that moment the Rosebud’s have seemed to lose their way. A 6-0 hiding followed the next week by a second half fade out against Weston – where they gave up a 3-1 lead – hurt them significantly and against Valentine they lacked creativity in the front third.

The Rosebud’s come up against a Lakes side which may be still reeling from the 4-0 hiding they copped at the hands of Lambton on Sunday afternoon. It was a severe reality check for the Roosters after an undefeated run to the season and there may be no better time like the present for Adamstown to take on Lake Macquarie.

While Lakes will be aiming to return to the winners’ circle, they will also be looking to end seven long years between victories against Adamstown. Their last win was back in 2010, a 6-5 victory a Macquarie Field.

In more bad news for Adamstown, defender Daniel Yaxley left the club during the week citing work commitments. Zaell Ford and Jordan Harrison (both away) will miss the match while Dayne Pawlik returns to the Rosebud side this week. For Lakes, Justin Broadley (broken toe) is out.

What the Coaches Said:

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“It’s been a bad couple of weeks, not just for us, but for everyone, trying to train when you have problems to iron out and you can’t get on a pitch. It hasn’t been ideal.”

“There are some things that are evident that we are not doing well, which doesn’t allow us to complete what we are trying to achieve, trying to keep the ball, trying to execute in the front third which had been difficult because we haven’t had a venue to do that.”

Anthony Richards (Lakes)

“The [boy’s confidence] is still pretty good. I reckon last night they trained harder than they have ever trained so they are still a happy bunch and they are still training hard. There is a good vibe in the camp and the boys get on really well so there are no problems. They have moved one.”

“It is important to make sure we don’t have any battle scars from [the Lambton match] and we are good to go again. If you dwell on it too much, this competition has proven that the sides that haven’t [been predicted] to do well are doing well and the really good sides can fall over at any stage.

Key: The bounce-back factor. Will Lakes respond with a strong performance after their 4-0 loss to Lambton?

source: sportstg.com

Daniel Bird, scorer of Olympic’s 3rd goal

On a cool and dry Sunday evening Hamilton Olympic entertained a Newcastle Jets Youth side which didn’t convince at any stage in the game that they were capable of coming away with any points from Darling St Oval.

In the opening 10 minutes Olympic are in complete control of the game with the Jets reduced to simply watching the dictation of play by the hosts. The intensity of the play isn’t high but you get the feeling that Olympic are just exploring the opponent before they strike.

In the 15’ a lovely through ball by Tommy Spencer to Grant Brown on the left and a perfectly weighted cross to Scott Smith who, with a diving header, found the back of the Jet’s goal to open the night’s proceedings 1-0!

The goal had little impact on the game with Olympic continuing to enjoy the lion’s share of possession and the Jet’s simply chasing shadows.

By the 24’ a scramble inside the Jet’s goalmouth and the inability by the visitors to clear enabled Tommy Spencer to add a second goal by Olympic 2-0!

The Jet’s inability to press Olympic is what enables the team in blue to dominate play and pepper their opponent’s goal. The first time Danny Ireland has to make is a save comes in the 38’ when he palms a shot wide for a corner.

The end of the first 45’ finds Olympic 2-0 ahead but the clear cut chances to add to the score is disproportionate to the amount of possession and domination of play in the middle of the field.

The first 10’ of the second half continued with the same slow intensity of the first with Olympic dominating play and the Jets simply trying to keep up.

In the 55’ a through ball by Tommy Spencer enabled Daniel Bird to shoot from between two Jets defenders to make it 3-0! From here on it is obvious that Olympic have their minds on their next match.

In the 61’ a poor clearance from Kyle Hodges and an ensuing lucky bounce enables the Jets to draw the score to 3-1 through Tim Harris.

In the 68’ Leo Bertos floats in a free kick aiming for the head of Marcus Duncan, the Jets goalie is unable to clear and the oncoming Scott Smith taps it in for a 4-1 score-line.

Three easy points for Olympic looking forward to the next game against Charlestown City.

U20s  Hamilton Olympic – Jets Youth 1-2

U18s  Hamilton Olympic – Jets Youth 2-4

source: Tom Tsamouras

Hamilton Olympic v Newcastle Jets Youth
6 pm Saturday 8^th April at Darling Street Oval

Last Meeting: Round 16, 2016: Hamilton 1 Jets Youth 0 at Darling Street Oval.

Ladder: Hamilton 8^th (3), Jets Youth 11^th (1)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Hamilton – Won Rosebud 1-0 (a), Lost Jaffas 2-3 (h)
Jets – Lost Magpies 2-4 (h), Lost Blues 1-4 (h), Drew Rosebud 4-4 (h)

Bottom Line

Hamilton have put the Jets Youth to the sword on the last three occasions by a combined margin of 13-0 and while the last match featured just the one goal, it has been the Jets inability to deal with Hamilton’s physicality which has led to Olympic’s nine-game unbeaten record against the Jets.

After starting the year on fire in the opening 45 minutes against the Jaffas, Olympic let Lambton back into the contest in the second half, conceding three goals and losing 3-2.

With an older side, the talk of their ‘ageing squad’ began to grow louder after the second half collapse, especially after the injury to young midfielder Rhys Cooper late in their opening match. But, Hamilton quelled that talk – for the moment – with a last minute win against Adamstown in round three.

The Jets Youth have scored plenty and conceded 12 goals at an average of four a game in their three matches so far and it’s something which has become a trait of the young Jets.

Lacking depth at the back has certainly impacted them, and will continue to do so but it is in the front third where they will continue to do damage this season. If they can tighten up their defence, they will do some serious damage.

Hamilton’s Captain Kyle Hodges should return from injury and will play his 100^th match, while Matt Swan while also return. Andrew Swan is still a week away, while Rhys Cooper is still a month away from returning.

What the Coaches Said: 

Mick Bolch (Hamilton Olympic)

“The [last win against Adamstown] gave the boys a bit of a boost. When you haven’t played many matches with the game washed out on the weekend it doesn’t help. But, the boys have been training well. A 92^nd minute winner after conceding to lose against the Jaffas in the 91^st minute, it swings and roundabouts. You keep working hard and things turn around.”

“What [the Jets] lack in size they make up for. They are that much fitter and that much sharper than every other side in the comp, and they should be training five times a week. They are very well structured and its just a matter of doing what we do well. Obviously, the physical side of it, most first grade sides should be physically be better than them, but as far as the technical and fitness side of it I think they’ve got the edge on most sides.” 

Clayton Zane (Jets Youth)

“I think physically [Hamilton] are our biggest challenge based on what happened last year. They’ll be the biggest physical test that we will have for sure. You can only go off other results though, and Adamstown stuck in the game against them and we did alright against Adamstown, so you sort of hope our boys can man up a bit.”

“We might look to go with guys who match up against [Hamilton physically] a bit better. The other thing we try and do when we play a team that can have that physical presence up top is to try and get pressure on the ball as early as we can, so those types of games we have to try and play a high line and move some space in behind.”

Key: Physicality. The Jets have struggled with Olympic’s strength up front losing the last three matches between the sides by a combined score of 13-0. Hamilton’s Kane Goodchild scored five of those.

U18s Olympic vs Jets Youth kick off  2.15 pm

U20s Olympic vs Jets Youth kick off  4.00 pm

 IN OTHER MATCHES:

Lake Macquarie Roosters v Lambton Jaffas
2.30pm Sunday 9^th April at Macquarie Field
Match of the Round

Last Meeting: Round 11, 2014: Lambton 5 Lake Macquarie 2 at Arthur Edden Oval.
Ladder: Lake Macquarie 1^st (8pts), Lambton 2^nd (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Lake Macquarie – Won Magic 4-1 (a), Won Phoenix 3-0 (h), Drew Blues 1-1 (a)
Lambton – Lost Phoenix 2-3 (h), Won Eagles 2-1 (h), Drew Bears 2-2 (a)

Bottom Line

It’s a top of the table clash on Sunday afternoon when the Lambton Jaffas head to Macquarie Field to play a PlayStation®4 National Premier Leagues (NPL) Northern NSW match for the first time since 2014.

The Roosters are soaring after an unbelievable start to their 2017 campaign, and they remain the only undefeated side in the competition, except Maitland who haven’t played a match.

After two matches without a goal, many wondered whether Sam Walker would find his goal scoring touch again including former Lakes coach and now BarTV commentator Chris Turner who “offered to take him down to the park”.

Walker responded in fine style scoring five goals in his last two outings including an incredible hat-trick against one of the competition favourites in Broadmeadow Magic. You could scarcely believe what unfolded last Sunday afternoon as a Walker-inspired Lakes crushed Broadmeadow 4-1.

They meet a Jaffas side who saw the polar opposites of agony and ecstasy in the space of just four days. After beating two-time defending Premiers Edgeworth on Wednesday night the Jaffas were quickly brought down to earth when Valentine came from behind to beat them 3-2.

A Brad Swancott send-off didn’t help the Jaffas cause and his absence on Sunday afternoon will no doubt be felt by the Jaffas, and Sam Walker and his side won’t mind it one bit.

Since the Jaffas promotion in 2012, the sides have played four times, with the Jaffas winning three and the other match ending in a draw. The last time Lakes took down the Jaffas was back in 2010, they won twice that season 1-0 at Macquarie Field and 4-0 at Arthur Edden Oval.

What the Coaches Said: 

Anthony Richards (Lake Macquarie)

“I’m serious about this. I haven’t had a look at the ladder. I know obviously from what has been said that we are near the top, but seriously we are just looking at playing the sides that are in front of us. Jaffas are a terrific side, they’ve got probably two of the better players who have played for Newcastle [Jets] in Jobe Wheelhouse and Joel Griffiths. I guess it will be me telling my boys not to take out the autograph books during the game and wait till full-time to get an autograph.”

“They have probably got the prettiest striker in the competition in Pat Brown who is in form at the moment. But, you just can’t focus on them [Wheelhouse, Griffiths and Brown]. If you focus on them, then the other guys like Luke Remington who is a super player, Nathan Morris, Ridge Marpu. These guys are a side who have some tremendous talent. It’s not a ‘let’s focus on one thing’ it’s let’s make sure we have our ducks in order and we do our job to make sure we are at our best.”

James Pascoe (Lambton)

“We’ve got a squad with enough talent and experience in it to be a bit more consistent. Having said that it is still a newish group. We’ve done a longish pre-season, we still are becoming cohesive, I guess you could say, in different areas of our game. There is plenty of room for improvement in lots of that and the speed and momentum in which we move in the last third has got to improve.”

“I watched [Lakes’] first half against Magic, and they were decent. We played them in pre-season and beat them 4-0. They had a couple out and I think we had [Jobe] Wheelhouse, [Luke] Remington and [Ben] Hay out for ourselves, so neither team was probably at full strength. But, they certainly looked a lot more balanced in what I saw in the match against Magic on the weekend.”

Key: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Can Lake Macquarie continue to do the old proverb justice?

Edgeworth Eagles v Maitland FC
7.30 pm Saturday 8^th April at Jack McLaughlan Oval

Last Meeting: Semi Final 2^nd Leg, 2016: Edgeworth 2 Maitland 1 at Jack McLaughlan Oval.
Ladder: Edgeworth 5^th (4), Maitland 7^th (3)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Maitland – Won Jets 4-2 (a)
Edgeworth – Lost Jaffas 1-2 (a), Won Rosebud 6-0 (h), Drew Magic 1-1 (h)

Bottom Line
Both sides return to the scene of last year’s dramatic semi-final second leg where Maitland went within centimetres of reaching the Grand Final. Keigo Moriyasu’s late strike was the difference between the sides that afternoon as Edgeworth marched on and the rest is history.

Edgeworth’s start to the season seemed to be going along like clockwork after a ten-man renaissance against Broadmeadow followed by a ruthless thumping of a wasteful Adamstown. But, the smooth start hit a snag last week when Lambton took them down 2-1 at Arthur Edden Oval.

Damian Zane says the loss has spurred on his side and re-energised them for what is to come in the remainder of the season. After having last weekend off with the bye, expect the Eagles to come into this one ready and raring to go.

Meanwhile, as some sides in the competition have played up to four matches, Maitland have just played the one competitive PS4 NPL Northern NSW match.

The constant downpours and poor drainage of Cooks Square Park have combined to make it almost impossible for matches to be played at the ground and the catch-up matches will make for a busy and fatiguing few weeks for the Magpies.

It was only this week, that the Magpies played their first match – a 4-2 win over the Jets. They will be full of confidence after scoring four unanswered goals in the match after going down 2-0 inside the opening 16 minutes.

Edgeworth are at full strength this weekend as Kieran Sanders makes his long-awaited return from suspension. Maitland on the other hand could be without Ryan Clarke (hamstring) who missed the match with the Jets.

What the Coaches Said: 

Damian Zane (Edgeworth)

“I think this group actually needs something each year to spark them. You start the season and it doesn’t really start until something happens, either a poor result or you get a big game. I think they are a pretty proud group and they were hurting after the loss [to the Jaffas]. I’ve seen it at training and we are back and I really expect us to knuckle down over the next month and set a base for the rest of year.”

“[Maitland] are actually my tip to be a bit of a dark horse this year, to be honest. They have recruited pretty well, some good additions. I thought they had a pretty good team up there last year, and I sort of look at their squad and now you’ve sort of got a 16-man squad there. It just shows the comp is getting stronger. Teams that had a strong ‘team’ have now added to it and have a strong squad.”

 Phil Dando (Maitland)

“We’ve got a full-on schedule and [Edgeworth] have had the week off. I’ve had a check through the draw and every team we play has the bye the week before they play us so they are all going to be fresh and we are playing catch-up. Anyway, as I said to the guys in my experience, every player I know has preferred to be playing games than training, so we are going to be playing games alone for the next few weeks.”

“The guys are full of confidence. They know from last season that they weren’t far away and they know if they just work that little bit harder they can give it a real shake this year and the attitude is great. It was just exemplified [against the Jets] for me, where no one got on anyone’s back when we were 2-0 down and they all just rallied round and worked so hard to get it back to 2-2 at half-time and went on with it in the second half.”

Key: With just two days between matches and after playing on the synthetic fields at Lake Macquarie against the Jets, will Maitland have the fuel in the tank to take down the Eagles?

Valentine Phoenix v Adamstown Rosebud
2.30 pm Saturday 8^th April at Cahill Oval

Last Meeting: Round 12, 2016: Adamstown 2 Valentine 0 at Blacksmiths Oval.
Ladder: Valentine 4^th (6), Adamstown 10^th (2)

Past 3 Starts (most recent first):

Valentine – Won Jaffas 3-2 (a), Lost Roosters 0-3 (a), Lost Magic 2-3 (a)
Adamstown – Drew Bears 3-3 (h), Lost Olympic 0-1 (h), Lost Eagles 0-6 (a)

Bottom Line

It has taken a while but finally, Valentine will be allowed back onto Cahill Oval to play their first home match of the 2017 season. While it will be good for the Phoenix to return home, their record in the top flight isn’t great.

Out of four of their matches at Cahill last season, Valentine didn’t win any before they moved their matches away from the ground. They conceded 14 in those four matches and scored just two and whether their home demons will hang around in 2017 remains to be seen.

If you take out their midweek disappointment against Lakes where they were taken down 3-0, Valentine have been very good so far this season. Wins against Charlestown and Lambton and a credible loss to Broadmeadow hold them in good stead for a match against an Adamstown side who just lack confidence at the moment.

Expectations were high for the Rosebud’s after winning the Heritage Cup in the pre-season, but the shine has come off in recent weeks. While they did very well to fight back and claim a point in round one with just ten men, the last three matches have been major disappointments.

First, a 6-0 thumping at the hands of Adamstown, marred by another red card, started their slide. Then a last-minute loss to Hamilton didn’t help their confidence level. If that wasn’t enough giving away a 3-1 lead against Weston was very disappointing for Pete McGuinness’ side.

But, on the bright side, the Rosebud’s have the chance to turn the form guide around this weekend against a side they beat twice last season 2-0.

In terrible news for the Rosebud’s, Robbie Turnbull (knee) is out for the season, while Dayne Pawlik will miss the match with work commitments. Youngster Tom Beecham will come into the starting side.

For the Phoenix Josh Carroll (hip flexor) is out, while Zac Sneddon (hip flexor), Alex Tserepas (ankle), and Chris Brown (knee) will all be assessed later in the week.

What the Coaches Said:

Darren Sills (Valentine)

“[The bad record against Adamstown last year] will affect the way we approach the match. I was a little bit outspoken about the way we performed against them last year and I was probably made to eat my words. I want to make sure basically that we turn up because if we don’t, we’ll do what happened against Lake Macquarie.”

“First and foremost we are training [at Cahill Oval] tomorrow night. That’s the first part of the jigsaw puzzle, that hopefully we can start to get more of an understanding of the pitch, because it’s a massive ground and an awkward one with the cricket pitch in the middle. I went and had a look at it the other day and it’s in pristine condition. The curator Steven Clarkeson copped a bit of hammering last year with the way the pitch came up, but, he has done a fantastic job this year.”

Pete McGuinness (Adamstown)

“We’ve got to make sure we don’t concede that many goals, we have conceded far too many already. We’ve got to make sure we stay in the game with them and hopefully we take the chances we create. It’s just a lack of intensity in and around defending those vital desperate situations. We need to have more mongrel in us to defend our goal.”

“[I think the expectations after winning the Heritage Cup] were where they should have been. I think I’ve got a good bunch of boys. You plant a seed in the ground and it grows into a tree. You put a new team together and it starts to grow. I thought it was good for them the fact that it should give them some self-belief that they are a decent group and a decent squad and they can play some decent football.”

Key: Can Valentine rid Cahill Oval of the demons which plagued them last season?

Charlestown City Blues v Broadmeadow Magic
2.30pm Sunday 9^th April at Lisle Carr Oval

Last Meeting: Round 17, 2016: Charlestown 3 Broadmeadow 2 at Magic Park.
Ladder: Charlestown 6^th (4), Broadmeadow 3^rd (7)

Last 3 Starts (most recent first):

Charlestown – Won Jets 4-1 (a), Drew Roosters 1-1 (h), Lost Phoenix 1-2 (h)
Broadmeadow – Lost Roosters 1-4 (h), Won Phoenix 3-2 (h), Won Bears 2-0 (h)

Bottom Line

Ruben Zadkovich will be hoping for a similar response from his troops that Shane Pryce received out of his side on the weekend after Broadmeadow fell to Lake Macquarie in round four. It ended a six-game unbeaten run against Lakes and Zadkovich’s unbeaten run in the PS4 NPL with Broadmeadow.

Magic certainly had their chances in the 4-1 defeat at the hands of the Roosters, especially in the first half with Kale Bradbury and James Virgili going close on a number of occasions.

Bradbury, Magic’s second top scorer last season with 17 goals, has struggled with confidence this season and hasn’t found the back of the net in the opening four matches, while Virgili has scored just two. At this point last season both had three each to their name.

Zadkovich brought key men Shane Paul, Jon Griffiths and Peter Haynes on from the bench against Lakes, so you would expect at least two of them to return to the starting side this weekend.

Charlestown responded strongly to a lacklustre start to the season last weekend as they put the Jets to the sword in the final 15 minutes, when they scored three goals to win 4-1.

After disappointing performances against Valentine in round one, and Lakes in round three, Shane Pryce’s criticism of his side worked and he will be hoping they bring the same energy and commitment from Saturday into the battle with Broadmeadow.

The Blues have one of the better records of local sides against Magic, winning three of their last five matches, including their last match in round 17 last year where Rene Ferguson was the last-minute hero for Charlestown.

What the Coaches Said: 

Shane Pryce (Charlestown)

“The amount of games and the timeframe that we have had them in has not helped us so it has been good to get a bit of consistency in our game and we can play week in week out football.”

“Our urgency, our willingness to win our battles – our one-on-one battles – and just the general urgency we showed [on the weekend] all over the park was great.”

Ruben Zadkovich (Broadmeadow)

“Sometimes when you rotate things and change formations there is an element of a gamble to it. You want it to come off and you want to see those boys who are getting some time take their opportunities. I didn’t think any of them were particularly poor [on the weekend].”

“It comes down to your execution of what we have spoken about and what we have worked on and can they recognise the scenarios, and it’s a challenge for those boys and it’s a challenge for me as a coach to educate them enough in the short space of time you want to do it. I wanted to give a few of the boys game time and wanted to try something different and that gamble [didn’t pay off on the weekend]. When you don’t take your chances in games you get punished.”

Key: How will Broadmeadow respond from last week’s upset loss to Lakes?

source: sportstg.com

Hamilton will celebrate the 100^th appearance of captain Kyle Hodges when he returns from injury for the clash with Newcastle Jets Youth on Saturday night at Darling Street Oval.

RD 5 (2.30pm*): Saturday: Valentine v Adamstown*, Hamilton v Jets Youth (6pm), Edgeworth v Maitland (7.30pm). Sunday: Charlestown v Magic*, Lakes v Jaffas*.

The centre-back has missed Olympic’s opening two games, a 3-2 loss to Jaffas and injury-time win over Adamstown, with an ankle injury and will be a welcome addition against the dangerous Jets Youth attack.

** Northern NSW Football said special circumstances led to the move of Maitland’s rescheduled game against the Jets Youth to an artificial surface at Speers Point Park for Wednesday night.

Regular NPL matches are not typically played at the facility but NNSWF premier club development and compliance officer Gary Fisher said the change was needed. Poor drainage at Cooks Square Park and regular rain has contributed to Maitland not yet taking the field as the NPL approaches round five.

“It’s got to the stage where Maitland need to play some football,” Fisher said.

“The facility is available, the game is against the Jets Youth, and it’s technically the Jets’ home game. It’s not something we do every time, but given the circumstances, and with more wet weather this week, we’ve decided to go this way.”

Maitland were to host the Jets on Wednesday but Maitland City Council closed all grounds on Tuesday following more heavy rain. 

Maitland football manager Michael Mirisch said the club had been unlucky with the weather and the timing of their games. Mirisch also said the club were writing a letter to council in the hope of gaining help to fix the drainage problems at Cooks Square Park.

source: Newcastle Herald

The Round 4 washed-out fixtures Maitland FC v Hamilton Olympic FC have beenrescheduled at Cooks Square Park, with due consideration being given to Maitland FC’s already scheduled Round 2 wash out fixture:

Tuesday 18th April 2017
18 Years – 6pm
20 Years – 7:30pm

Wednesday 19th April 2017
First Grade – 6:30pm

source:Tom Tsamouras

The round 4 clash between Hamilton Olympic and Maitland Magpies at Cook Square park on Sunday was washed out for all three grades.

Our NPL Youth games which were scheduled at Darling St Oval but were switched to Speers Point were played with the following results:

NPL Youth
Olympic vs Mid North Coast
Under 16s lost 0-6
Under 15s won 4-0
Under 14s won 4-3
Under 13s won 2-0

In other First Grade matches of Round 4:

Lambton Jaffas FC 2 Valentine Eleebana FC 3
Newcastle Jets Youth 1 Charlestown City Blues 4
Broadmeadow Magic FC 1 Lake Macquarie City Roosters Football Club 4
Adamstown Rosebud FC 3 Weston Workers Bears FC 3

source:Tom Tsamouras